Announcing machine and system



July 6, 1 943. J. L. FRANKLIN Q I ANNOUNCING MACHINE AND SYSTEM FiledFeb. 9, 1945 Sheets-Sheet 1 awe/rm July 6, 194. J. L. FRANKLINANNOUNCING MACHINE AND SYSTEM- 7 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 9, 194,5

July 6, 1948. J. L. FRANKLIN 2,444,818

ANNOUNCING MACHINE AND SYSTEM Filed Feb. 9, 1945 '7 Sheets-Sheet 3 JOHNL fieA/wru/v July 6, i948. J. L. FRANKLIN 2,444,818

- ANNOUNCING MACHINE AND SYSTEM Filed Feb. 9, 1945 7 Sheets-Sheet 4 JulyJ. L. FRANKLIN 2,444,81

ANNOUNCING MACHINE AND SYSTEM Filed Feb. 9, 194 5v 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 JamvL Emma //v zotkw 7 Sheets-Sheet 6 I I n I I I l l I l l l l 1 JJWOQEUUJU Org J. L. FRANKLIN ANNOUNCING MACHINE AND SYSTEM July 6, 1948.

Filed Feb. 9, 1945 July 6, 1948. J. L. FRANKLIN 2,4,H8

ANNOUNCING MACHINE AND SYSTEM Filed Feb. 9, 1945 7 Sheets-Sheet '7SUPPLY SUPPLY JOHN L/RANKL/N L\\\ 1: 3,23,11,21: J H & H p :2, 1,;1:11:33 Q n u a g y M W M 5 Patented July 6, 1948 iTE STATES PAre It isan object of the invention to provide a system of electrical circuits tocontrol a machine of the class referredto.

It is a further object to provide an announcing machine provided with aplurality of sound records arranged in groups, in such a manner thatdesired records from some or all of the groups may be selected andbrought each into the zone or path in which a sound reproducing means isactive and to cause relative movement between the records andreproducing means whereby to successively reproduce the sounds and bytheir combined reproduction in succession to transmit information.

It is a furtherobject of the invention to provide a machine comprising aplurality of groups of sound records adapted to reproduce speechincluding announcement of the various units and fractional parts ofunits of measurement of time, one, two or three dimensional space,quantity, temperature, pressure, weight or other necessary expressionsto indicate quantity of material in a tank, or pipe or existingconditions of rate of flow, pressure, temperature, speed, quantity,weight, density, altitude, intensity, number, size, compass bearings,depth, thickness, hardness, viscosity, angle, power, electricalpotential, current, revolutions per unit of time, time, or substantiallyany condition of fact which can be determined by any meteringinstrument.

It is a further object to provide a machine that.

will translate the condition of fact indicated by a meter into speechand transmit the same by telephone or loud speaker.

It is a further object to provide a system of circuits adapted to startthe machine into operation, connect the same-to the telephone, anddisconnect after the message has been completed, all in response to asimple call on the telephone.

It is a further object to provide a machine which inherently lendsitself to provision for being preset manually whereby the sound recordsthereof bearing a variety of phrases may be combined for transmissionover a telephone in response to any calls arriving during the absence ofthe proprietor.

It is a further object of the invention toprovide announcing means ofthe character referred to and means for operation thereof by a meteringdevice, which announcing means is reversible so as to move in accordancewith movements of the meter whether the quantity or other indication ofthe meter is increasing or decreasing, in order that the sound recordsmay at all times be ready to announce the existing conditions correctly.

Further objects of the invention will appear from the followingdescription when read in connection with the accompanying drawingshowing an illustrative embodiment oi the invention and wherein:

Figure l is an elevation of the machine with a cover of the casingremoved.

Figure 2 is a transverse section on line 2-2 of Figure 8 omitting aportion of the casing.

Figure 3 is a section on linefi-t of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a detail side elevation of the sound record portion of themachine partly in section.

Figure 5 is a detail section on line 5-5 of Figure 3.

Figure 6 is a detail elevation of magnetic brake magnets used in thedevice.

Figure 7 is a detail side elevation of the brush assembly and slip ringsused in the control of the device.

Figure 8 is an end view seen from the right of Figure '7, partly brokenaway.

Figure 9 is a diagram of circuits of the control system of the devicewhen utilized with atelephone system,

a Figure 10 is a vertical section on a much re- 'duced scale showing themeans controlling the device when used with a liquid level meter.

Figure 11 is a detail side elevation upon an enlarged scale showing thecontrol means of Figure 10, and

Figure 12 is a side elevation of the structure of Figure 11.

When used with a liquid level meter as shown in Figure 10, there isutilized a float l5 floatin upon the liquid it in a tank ll desirably ina well it in one side of the tank to avoid minor disturbances. The floati5 is shown asconnected with a flexible member i9 passing over asprocket carried on the shaft of a positioning device 20, and attachedto a, weight M outside of the tank. The member 20 is indicated as afamiliar type of Selsyn motor shown asconnected by three wires with asecond Selsyn motor 22.

As shown in Figure 3, the motor 22 1s confined in a casing 23 outwardlyprovided with slip rings 26, 25 and 26 cooperating with brushes 2?, 28,29 and slip rings 30, 3| cooperating with brushes 32, 88, Figure 7.Three of said slip rings are utilized to connect the Selsyn motors 28and 22 and the remaining two rings and'brushes to connect power-to theSelsyn motor. The: brushes as shown in Figures '7 and 8 are supportedupon a stand 84 and the wires may lead to a junction box not shown.

For purposes of the invention shown is arranged to announce the depth ofthe liquid in multiples of ten feet, units of feet, units of inches, andeighths of inches. To this end the motor 22 is shown as connected by ashaft 35 with a disk 35 provided as shown in Fig. with eight teeth, eachtooth gepresenting one-eighth of an inch, which teeth as also shown insaid figure, coact with a Geneva gear 31 fast with a disk 38 having asingle tooth 39 which disk meets with a Geneva gear 48 having 12 notchesand which is devoted to an announcement of inches. The gear 48 is fastwith a disk 4i havinga single tooth 42 coacting with 2'. Geneva gear 83having notches and fast with a disk 44 having a single tooth 85 coactingwith a Geneva gear 48 also provided with 10 notches. The respectiveGeneva gear and disk pairs are mounted upon stub shafts 41, 48, 49 and58 proiecting from a plate 5|, Figure 3, which is bolted to a plate 52as by means of cap screws 53. Each of the Geneva gear carrying shafts41-58 carries a grooved disk, 54 for. fraction of inches control, .55for inches control, 56 for unit feet control, and 51 for, tens of feetcontrol respectively.

As shown in Figure 3-, each of these cam disks is provided with a camgroove which runs in a spiral path around the disk to a certain pointwhereupon it sharply returns to the beginning point of the spiral. Tocontrol sound record segments by means of the cam disks there are shownarms 58. 58, '88 and 6 I, Figure 1, pivoted upon studs -82, 88, 64, 85projecting from the plate 52 and rigid therewith. Each arm 58-6I carriesa dog 58-69 inclusive and the outer ends of the arms are bent at anangle as shown in Figure 1' to the main body of the same as at 1813inclusive. The ends of the said arms each project into a guide M whichguides are rigid each with a segment shown as four in number and whichsegments are slidably guided by means of eyes I5 sliding on rods movingthe arm 58 so as to move a different sound of illustration, theembodiment 58 and segment carrying the one-eighth inch sound recordsbeing correspondingly moved by cam 54. Upon complete revolution of thecam .54, its tooth 38 will give a twelfth of a revolution to gear 48 andcam 55 which after twelve revolutions will stepup the foot cam 56 and inturn after ten revolutions thereof, the multiple of feet cam 51.

In this manner the appropriate sound record will be maintained in thepath of the light 88 at all times to correctly report the multiple often feet. the units of feet, .the inches and the fric-v tion of inchesof depth of liquid in the tank and this action will be caused whetherthe depth of the liquid in the tank is increasing or decreasing. Tocause revolution of the plate 52 for purposes of making an announcementfrom the film records in the path of the light. the plate 52. is shownas mounted upon a hollow shaft 83 which is revolved by a worm gear 84through the medium of a worm 85 and the shaft 86 of the motor 81. Theshaft 83 also bears a gear 88 in mesh with a gear 88 fast on a cam shaft88 hearing cams 9|, 92, 93 which operate microswitches 94, 95- and 95for the control of the device in a manner to be described.

By virtue of the fact that the casing 23 for Selsyn motor 22 is mountedrigidly upon the holguiding rods and coacting eyes are provided uponeach of the said segments.

The segments I5 each hear a plurality of sound records indicated asphotographic sound records upon narrow strips of photographic film,there being provided in group 18 of sound records 8 thereof, and ingroup I8 10 thereof. The group 18 shown in Figure 4 is a multiple-of tenroup. The group controlled by cam will consist of 12 records and thatcontrolled by cam 55 will he provided with ten sound records to indicateunits of feet.

with the arrangement as shown and described and starting with the tankI! empty, each of the photographic sound record. segments will standwith a record to reproduce the word "zero" in alignment with the rays ofthe lamp 88 extending through a focusing slit 8i and impingin upon thesurface of the segments which are polished for reflection of lightpassing through the sound records. The light when reflected strikes aphotoelectric cell 82. As the float I5 rises each eighth of an inch thetape I8 whose perforations each represent one-eighthoi' an inch, that is45 of rotation of the shaft of the Selsyn motor 28, will cause 45 ofrotation of the shaft 35 thus low shaft 83 and the motor 22 revolveswith the casing, the shifting of the sound records can go forward at anytime even though the plate 52 is revolving. To give a clear announcementat least once in each operation of the device, even though some one ofthe sound records should be in the act of changing, the system isdesigned to cause the shaft 83 to make two revolutions each time it isset into operation and then be automatically stopped.

In order to provide a prompt stopping of the motor, the shaft 86 isshown as provided with a disk 91 of magnetic material serving as anarmature of an electro-magnet 98 fixed on standard 98, Figure 2. Whenthe machine is out of operation the magnet 98 will be energized to holdthe shaft of the motor stationary and when curof the telephone circuitto the sound reproducing circuits.

Ringing circuit from the'telephone lines TR energizes relay EU to closeits contacts A and B. Closing of these contacts completes a circuit fromgrounded battery I88 over wires IOI, I82; contacts' A and B of relay RU;wires I83, lll i to ground. This circuit energizes relay LK thus closingits contacts A and B which results in completion of a holding circuitfor relay LK over wire it; contacts of the relay; wire I85 through thenormally closed back contacts A, B of relay CT and wire I84 to ground.Operation of relay LK also causes its contacts C and D to close whichestablishes a circuit from grounded battery I88; wire I81; contactsC..D; wires I88, I89; coil of start relay; wire 8 to ground. Energizingof the start relay winding causes its contacts A and B to close whichcompletes a 68 cycle power current to the coil oi the control relay overwire R. iii: coil, contacts B and A of the start relay, wire 2 to wireB. The control relay and start relay are a part of the announcingmechanism. Flow of current through the'control relay coil causes it tooperate and close its contacts C and D thus completing a power circuitto the translator motor tl over wires H3; Ht; also completing a circuitto the of the exciter lamp transformer i i5 over the wire i it, ill, Ht,lit; to the primary of the plate supply high voltage rectifiertransformer in over wires lit, H3, H6, iii. arr, I23, I26, H9; and tothe primary of the low voltage rectifier transformer i225 over wires Mt,lit, lit, I20, I26, I21, Mt, lit. Y

This conditions the system for producing announcing modulated currentand the motor di will now be in operation causing the segments to passbeneath the rays of the exclter lamp 80 thus modulating current throughthe photo-electric cell and to the input of the audio amplifier. At thesame time operation of the control relay and the closing of its contactsD and C results in the opening of its contacts Dand E which breaks anormally closed circuit for energizing the coil of the magnetic brakethus removing the magnetic drag on the disk til attached to thetranslator motor shaft permitting the rotation of the translatormechanism. Rotation of the motor bl through reduction gears-8t, d6revolve the translator segments bearing the sound records assembly atsuch a speed that the record strips pass under the optical system at thesame speed at which the sound was recorded on the records. Otherreduction gears til, 89 rotate the cams ti, 92, 98. Shortly after thetranslator motor has received its initial starting impulse the controlswitch cam ti reaches a point where the contacts of switch 96 areclosed. The closing of these control contacts completes a holdingcircuit through the now closedcontacts A and B of the control relay overwire lit; contacts D and C of the control relay wires lit, F28; contactsB and A at St; wire H9; contacts A and B of the control relay, coil ofthe relay and wire i I i. Further rotation of the translator motorbrings out through switch cam 92 into a position which closes its switch95 thus completing a battery circuit to the lower coil. of the relay CTthrough the now closed contacts E, F of operated relay LK from groundedbattery itil, lower coil of CT, wire l3i, contacts E, F of operatedrelay LK, wires I32, I33 contacts of switch 95 to grounded wire R. Thecompletion'of thisbattery circuit causes the relay CT to operate therebybreaking the holding circuit on relay LK due to the opening of thecontacts A and B of relay CT. The operation of relay CT-causes itscontacts C and B to close and connects one side of the telephone circuitTR to the repeating coil Mil and also through its contacts E and Fcompletes the other side of the telephone circuit to the repeating coil.This repeating coil provides inductive coupling to the output I39 of theaudio amplifier. The closing of relay CT also completes a holdingcircuit through its contacts G and H to its upper coil from batterywill, said contacts, wires use, I36,

contacts of switch 96 to grounded wire R.

By the time the cut through switch has operated the translator motorwill have reached its 6 well known manner and since the tor operates thesegments through two revolutions for a single revolution of the shaftthe announcement will be spoken. twice.

The shaft 98 of the control switches will now have reached the pointwhich opens each of their contacts. The control switch contacts A and Bbeing open thereby removes the holding circuit upon the control relaywhich opens its'contacts C and D and makes its contacts D and E therebyagain applying current to the magnetic brake bring the translator motorto a quick stop. The opening of the contacts A and B of the cut-offswitch removes the holding circuit on relay CT allowing it to return tonormal and disconnecting the telephone circuits thereby returning thesystem to normal.

For purpose of illustration only, the sound record groups are shown asarranged on segments of a cylinder and movable axially oi the cylinderfor selection. It is within the purview of the invention to so arrangethe groups that the path of reproduction will be in a spiral about acylinder; 0r longitudinally of a cylinder and relatively movablecircumferentially thereof for selection; or even in a plane andmovable'in one direction relative to each other for selection and inanother direction for announcement.

It is obviousthat with any arrangement of the records movement of thereproducing means or of the arranged records or both are mechanicalequivalents.

It is further obvious that magnetic recording or stylus recording areequivalents of the lightrecording illustrated.

It is further obvious: 1st that the translator motor 81 may bepermanently connected to the power lines It and B so as to runcontinuously;

2nd that the Selsyn motor in the casing 23 may be replaced by asynchronous motor so as to function as a time motor; 3rd that thetransformer 13% may be utilized to modulate a broadcasting system ofelectromagnetic waves.

In the use of the apparatus in the first named manner, the start relay,the control relay and the "control switch" with their circuits may beomitted, in which event a call over the telephone will cause the callingsubscriber to receive two announcements (or more or less if the ratio ofgears 88, 89 be changed) and will then be cutoff. In the event-that boththe first and second arrangements are adopted and the sound records bein number and character properly supplied,

pulse to actuate the relay I31 by means of a receiving circuit connectedto terminals I38, I39

and the radio modulating circuit may be attached'to terminals Mil, MI inan obvious manner.

The machine may be adapted to start into operation at each change ofreading of the meter by the provision of a cam wheel I62 on the shaft ofthe first Geneva gear having the same number of cam teeth as said Genevagear so as-to actuate the switch M3 to start the motor Bl. For manualstartin or the apparatus a push button switch W3 is shown.

translator mo-.

By the broadcasting use of the apparatus of the invention, theapparatus, battery powered, can be carried by a balloon to secureweather information from the upper atmosphere; or a plurality of weatherstations may be established at locations not readily accessible, andwithout an attendant at such stations may be tuned in at any time onshort wave apparatus from a central point or by an airplane pilot intransit. Moreover the reports from 'such weather stations would beavailable to the general public b anyone owning a proper receiving setand therefore to corporationsoperating their own forecasting weatherservices.

It is also within the purview of the invention to initiate announcement,electrically, as from a distance, and to cause the announcements to bemade locally by loud speaker. These and other modifications may be madein the physical embodiment of the invention, within the scope of theappended claims, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim: v

1. In an announcing machine, in combination: a. revoluble recordcarrier; a plurality of rigid record supports each conforming to thesurface of a cylinder and slidably mounted on said carrier for selectivemovement parallel with the axis .of the carrier; a plurality of soundrecords mounted on each said support; the ends of each terminating in aplane through the axis oi. said carrier whereby selective relativemovement between said supports may bring the ends of any two records onadjacent supports into registry for production of a continuousannouncement by successive reproduction thereof sound reproduclug meansoperable over a definite path about the cylindrical surface includingsaid record carriers; and means to cause relative movement between saidreproducing means and said carrier to successively reproduce sounds fromthe records selectively brought into said path. I

2. The structure of claim-1 wherein each record has recorded thereonsome signal toform a part of an announcement of the reading of ametering instrument, in combination with such metering instrument andmeans to cause selective relative movement between the carriers to at.all times present a correct announcement of the condition measured bythe instrument.

3. Announcing apparatus comprising, in combination: a reversiblemetering instrument operable to continuously measure a physicalcharacteristic and correctly follow increments and decrements thereof;announcing means comprising relatively movable sound record carrierseach carrier supporting a group of sound records; each record includingthe record of a signal expressing a portion of a quantitativeannouncement of said physical characteristic; reversible mechanism tocause such relative movement; means connecting said instrument andannouncing means to actuate said reversible mechanism whereby tofassociate records of said groups .to correctly announce the existingcondition; and means to reproduce sound from the thus associatedrecords.

4. Announcing apparatus comprising, in combination: a hollow bearingjournaled on a support: a carrier disk mounted on said bearing; aplurality of record carrying segments mounted on said disk with theirsurfaces in a common cylindrical surface;

, for selectively causing said sliding movement;

means to cause revolution of said disk; an inner shaft journaled in saidhollow bearing and connected for actuation of saidselective means; meansoperable irrespective of the condition of rotation of the hollow bearingfor actuating said inner shaft; and means to successively reproducesound from the selected records when said disk is rotated.

'5. The combination of claim 4 in which the selective means compriserevoluble cams spiral through closely approaching 360 of rotation withquick return through the remainder of a complete rotationr 6. Thecombination of claim 4 in which the selective means comprise revolublecams spiral through closely approaching 360 of rotation with quickreturn through the remainder of a complete rotation with means actuateddirectly by said inner shaft to actuate one of said cams and means rigidwith each of said cams but one to actuate a succeeding cam.

7. The combination of claim 4 with a metering instrument comprising ashaft rotated in accordance with the reading thereof; and means to causerotation of said inner shaft in direction and degree of rotation toagree with that of said instrumentshaft.

8. The combination of claim 4 wherein the words recorded on the recordsof the respective groups express denominational quantities, and whereinthe respective selective means are provided with "carry one means toincrease or decrease the quantitative expression represented by therecords of the next higher denomination.

9. Announcing apparatus comprising, in combination: a revoluble recordcarrier support: a plurality of record carriers individually mounted onsaid support for sliding movement relative to each other; a plurality ofsound records; a group thereof mounted on each carrier said soundrecords of each group comprising ordinal numbers of a system; a meteringdevice operable to measure quantities in said system; means actuated bysaid device to cause selective sliding movement of the carrier bearingthe lowest denominations of said system to place the correct recordthereof for reproduction; a carry one device associated with eachcarrier to cause movement of the carrier of the next higher order toreproducing position; means to cause revolution of said support; andmeans to cause reproduction of sound from the selected carriers.

10. Announcing apparatus comprising, in combination: a meteringinstrument; a revoluble record carrier support; a plurality fo recordcarriers slidably mounted on said support for movement axially thereof;record carrying surfaces of said carriers. conforming to the surface ofa cylinder; a plurality of stub shafts projecting from said supportindividual to the respective carriers; cam means revolubly mounted oneach stub shaft to cause selective sliding movement of its carrier; aGeneva gear element mounted on a shaft coaxial with said support andformed with a number of teeth equal to the lowest order of the systemutilized by said instrument; Geneva gear means on one of said stubshafts coacting with said teeth to actuate the said cam means thereon;carry one Geneva gear means on the respective shafts, the coacting teeththereof in number appropriate to the said system acting to at all timesso actuate the cams as to arrange-the carriers with records in registrywith each other to correctly speak the reading of said instrument; meansto reproduce sound from the registered records; and means to revolvesaid coaxial shaft in conformity with measuring movements of saidinstrument.

l1. Announcing apparatus comprising, in combination: a meteringinstrument including means to affect an electric circuit in accordancewith its readings; a revoluble record carrier mounted on a hollow shaft;a plurality of record carrying i9 tion of said hollow shaft andconsequent reproduction of sound from records selected by revolution ofsaid inner shaft.

' JOHN L. FRANKLIN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the.

file of this patent:

' UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,580,363 Hayden Mar. 17, 19251,618,242 Thompson Feb. 22, 1927 1,765,554: Wensley June 24, 19301,889,597 FitzGerald Nov. 29, 1932 2,005,788 Keiser June 25, 19352,067,098 Rogers Jan. 5, 1937 2,202,517 DeKoevend May 28, 1940 2,239,094Harvey Apr. 22, 1941 2,284,008 Miller May 26, 1942 2362.918 Miller Nov.14, 1944

